Just when you thought the Australian selectors were about to start replenishing the Test squad with fresh blood, Mitchell Marsh’s name jumps back onto their little black book.
If they bring him back for the next Ashes Test in Brisbane or at any stage of this series it will be the ultimate slap in the face to Beau Webster, Josh Inglis and every batter plying their trade in the Sheffield Shield in the vein hope of catching the eye of the tunnel-visioned national selectors.
The 34-year-old is pretty much a permanent white-ball cricketer these days and due to a combination of the early-season T20 and ODI series against New Zealand and India, and workload management, he has not turned out for Western Australia this summer.
He has not turned out in the Shield ranks since scoring 94 and three failures across two matches in October last year.
His only domestic appearance for the summer has been a two-run cameo for WA in a One-Day Cup match against the Blues at the start of last month.
Marsh’s white-ball form for Australia across both formats against the Indians and Black Caps was superb.
That was often the case for Aaron Finch, Michael Bevan and Callum Ferguson but that didn’t mean they succeeded in the Test arena.
In Marsh’s favour is his disproportionately high output against England in his 10 previous Ashes Tests – 659 runs from 17 innings at 47.07 with all three of his career centuries.
Against all other opposition, he has 1424 runs at 24.14 with only eight half-centuries from 36 Tests.
When he was brought into the previous Ashes contest mid-series in England, he had an immediate impact, smashing a memorable 112 at Headingley
But there is also the not so insignificant matter of the way in which Marsh was found out by India’s bowling attack last summer when he managed only 73 runs in seven trips to the crease before the selectors finally took action.
The allrounder who replaced him, Webster, made every post a winner in his seven Tests since an impressive debut at the SCG at the start of the year.
Mitchell Marsh. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
His numbers don’t jump off the page (or the screen of whichever device you are currently operating) but they are still impressive – 381 runs at 34.63, plus eight wickets at 23.25 from 60 overs of mainly seamers.
But his four half-centuries all came in situations where the top order had crumbled and someone was needed to do the hard yards to occupy the crease and stem the clatter of wickets.
At 31, he is only three years younger than Marsh so it’s not like he is an investment in youth but he has a more promising future in red-ball cricket and the Test team most of all is in need of a reduction in the average age with Cameron Green the only player under 30 in the first Test win over England in Perth.
Webster was desperately unlucky to miss out at Optus Stadium when the Aussies opted to hand Jake Weatherald a debut so that Marnus Labuschagne could avoid opening (for one innings at least) and Green could drop from the pressure point of three in the line-up to six.
Assuming the selectors omit Usman Khawaja from his adopted home ground of the Gabba, and that’s a big if, to install Travis Head as a permanent opener, the other option for the middle order should be Inglis.
A calf strain has lessened his impact so far this summer but he is back to full fitness and run-scoring form, as evidenced by his unbeaten 125 to lead the Cricket Australia XI to a commanding win over the England Lions last weekend at Perth’s Lilac Hill ground.
Josh Inglis celebrates after scoring his century. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
And he did score an eye-catching 102 on debut earlier this year in Sri Lanka before falling cheaply in his next three hits.
If Green is able to bowl, then Inglis’ chances are boosted but the Aussies should consider telling the allrounder to focus on batting only for the foreseeable future so that he can finally live up to his immense potential.
For that to happen, Webster should get the nod in the middle order because he can fill the role as a fifth bowler, even sending down spin if required, especially if Australia decide Nathan Lyon is surplus to requirements in Brisbane for the pink-ball clash.
With Pat Cummins firming for an early return from his back injury and potentially Webster and Green in the final XI, Lyon should avoid a repeat of the third Test against the West Indies at Jamaica in July when he was dropped for the first time since the 2013 Ashes.
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